• Resort has seen nearly three feet of snow in the last week
• Expanded opening plan to include Northwoods and Game Creek Bowl
• $1 breakfast burritos and complimentary hot cocoa for opening day
• Boulder-based Big Gigantic to perform free concert in Lionshead Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

VAIL, Colo. – Nov. 17, 2010 – With nearly three feet of snow in the last week, Vail Mountain’s operations teams announced today that the resort will open on Friday for the 2010-2011 season with 1,150 acres of skiable terrain and nine lifts – nearly double the skiable acres reported late Monday.

“This opening scenario is probably better than we even dare to hope for and it doesn’t happen very often,” said Chris Jarnot, chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “We’ve been blessed with some of the best early-season snow we’ve ever had, and our crews have worked incredibly hard to prepare as much terrain and as many lifts as possible. I know everyone in town and certainly everyone at Vail Resorts is excited to kick off Vail’s winter season on Friday.”

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, skiers and snowboarders will have access to the following lifts and portions of terrain in these areas on Vail Mountain:

Additional terrain will open to the public as soon as conditions and weather permit. Both the Lionshead and Vail Village base areas will be open including lift ticket/season pass and ski school offices. The Small World Nursery will be open at the Golden Peak Children’s Center.

Eagle’s Nest, Buffalo’s, Wildwood and the Look Ma level of Mid-Vail will be open for on-mountain dining beginning Friday. Express Lift at Mountain Plaza will also be open.

As usual in the early season, Vail Mountain lifts will open at 9 a.m. to accommodate early-morning operations. Skiers and riders are asked to observe all posted signs and closures, especially during the early season. Closed trails may contain hazards due to early snow coverage. Crossing an on-mountain closure is a violation of the Colorado Ski Safety Act and will result in the loss of skiing privileges and could involve prosecution and a fine of up to $1,000.

Paid parking in the Town of Vail’s parking structures and outlying lots resumes Friday, Nov. 19 at 6 a.m. For more information on parking, visit www.vailgov.com/parking or call the Town of Vail parking hotline at (970) 479-2104. Parking is also available at Solaris and valet parking is available at the Arrabelle at Vail Square.

Opening Weekend Events and Values :
Join in the opening day celebration with $1 breakfast burritos, complimentary hot cocoa, Muscle Milk samples and other giveaways throughout the day, all at the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) in Lionshead and the base of the Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16) in Vail Village. Don’t miss a free show from up-and-coming Front Range duo Big Gigantic beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Vail Square.

Rooms are available for opening weekend from $99 per night. Visit www.vail.com for details or call (800) 404-3535.

Epic Pass and Epic 7-Pack Available Through Nov. 21:
One of the best deals in the industry, the Epic Season Pass, is only available through Nov. 21. For $629 for adults, the pass offers unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at all six Vail Resorts mountains – Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar-at-Tahoe – as well as at Arapahoe Basin and Sierra-at-Tahoe. The Epic 7-Pack offers the same unrestricted access for seven days at the same world-class mountains. Visit www.epicpass.com for details and additional benefits.

Guests who wish to participate will also begin digitally capturing their ski and ride experience at Vail through EpicMix, the revolutionary new online and mobile application available to Vail Resorts pass or PEAKS ticket holders. Vail Resorts also recently announced a new contest based on the total vertical feet skied at its resorts, in which one lucky guest can win up to $100,000 in a cash prize. The EpicMix website will feature a live running total of the cumulative vertical feet skied at each of Vail Resorts’ five resorts. For more information on EpixMix and the Epic Mix Holiday Gift Contest visit www.epicmix.com.